


The Disastrous Epic of One Z'phyr Tia

by Zifeara



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Fighting Monsters, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Personal WOL Journey, Reluctant Hero, Sarcasm, Spoilers, WOL is not reader, checking Thancred out, complaining about being the Chosen One, long fic, switching POVs, too many fetchquests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22762810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zifeara/pseuds/Zifeara
Summary: "Had he known that this one job would have fucked up the rest of his life, he might not have taken it. If Z'phyr had even the slightest inkling that this would set in motion the unyielding, unfathomable, magnificent mess that would change the world as they knew it, he might have bid fate to choose someone else. Yet he was privy to exactly nothing, naught but a cryptic dream and the vaguest sense of impending bullshit that was in no way tied to this very moment, meaning that like the ultimate fool, he approached the young woman kneeling at the base of the great tree. He opened the door for the ruination of his future, for better or worse, and in that instant, he felt none of the weight of his actions."Five years after the Calamity, the world is recovering, but a new storm is on the horizon. The Warrior of Light is needed once again, but this time... he doesn't want to be the hero. He's just a cat making his way in the world. It really is too bad he has no say in the matter. One man's journey of accidentallying his way through life and saving the world on the way. What could go wrong?This fic begins at the start of the base game for FFXIV and will include screenshots from the game for your enjoyment~
Kudos: 4





	The Disastrous Epic of One Z'phyr Tia

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, I've done it. I've fallen so in love with FFXIV and my WOL that I had to write fic. At the time of publishing this, I just finished the main content of ARR and am slowly moving through the game at my own pace. 
> 
> You will notice that I often yada yada through a lot of the drudgery of the early and main questline, but that is for two reasons; I don't feel time needs to be spent on some things and honestly... it's super canon for Z'phyr to gloss over things. He spaces out when he gets bored and only half listens, so it all makes sense. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy my personal journey with me through Final Fantasy XIV and thank you for joining me.

Of course it was Ul'dah. It was the place to make money, the place where you could find a job doing anything, the place where he was fairly certain he was being propositioned by an older guy before they even made it to the city proper. While the sight of giant, reptilian beastmen should have put him off the area, he was still excited about the new life he was about to set in motion. From humble beginnings in the Shroud, he was going to make something of himself. Hero, maybe not, but it would be better than another day as the one Seeker in a sea of Keepers. 

Z'phyr Tia leapt off the cart, gazing with wonder at the vast city around him. He was so used to endless trees or the simpler wooden buildings of Gridania, but the structures here loomed- stone monoliths that carved an intimidating silhouette against the brilliant desert sky. Something knocked against his shoulder and it snapped him out of his stupor. 

"A little early to be forgetting things, don't you think?" His sister tapped him again with his bow, her own lance already slung on her back. 

Grinning, he accepted his weapon and leaned his weight to one side. Considering neither of them had more than their clothes, arms of choice, and a meager amount of gil in their pockets, he was thankful they'd agreed to stick together. Zifeara was much harder to impress than he was, meaning their first day was likely to be productive. 

It had to be said, they did make quite the odd pair; both taller than they had any right to be, him at six foot even and her at five foot eight, they definitely stood out. They both had raven black hair that burned a rusty red at the ends, hers long and wavy and his a controlled mess. Their indigo eyes a stunning source of pride, hers moreso since her limbal ring made them glow. They were lithe and fit from life on the hunt, unashamedly attractive by any standards and they couldn't have been any more clearly related than if they had signs pinned to their backs declaring them siblings. 

Well, at least it would have been obvious had his sister not been dragon borne. The Auri woman took in their surroundings, her face unreadable as per usual. Z'phyr often wondered what awkward hand they'd been dealt since his carbon copy sibling couldn't possibly be his real flesh and blood. Then again, they'd never know; orphans often didn't learn of their pasts and while the clan of Keepers had been kind to treat them as their own, the Seeker and his Xaela counterpart would never truly belong there. Leaving their home to make their way in the world was less a sad affair and more an eventuality.

The day went by in a bit of blur. Once directed to Momodi, things really started rolling and it was a back and forth all over the great city to appease the tiny firecracker of a woman. While it did help acquaint them with the layout of their new home, Z'phyr… was easily distracted by nature- Zifeara was the only one keeping them on track and it became obvious within the first hour. While his sister was trudging to and fro, delivering items and accepting quests to murder some of the local fauna outside, he himself was socializing and getting a feel for the sort of people they were exposed to here. They were certainly different than the folks he was accustomed to in the Shroud, but it was exciting; Ul'dah had this vibe of mischief and disregard for the common law that got his blood pumping.

That night as they returned to the adventurer's guild, exhausted and sick of other people, Momodi was kind enough to put them up in the inn. Flopping face first into the impressively large bed, Z'phyr groaned. Zifeara still had a to-do list a mile long that they would need to take care of tomorrow. Worst of all, she suggested they split up for a bit now that they knew more or less where they were going so that they could take care of all the chores much faster. He knew there was wisdom in this, yet that meant he'd have to keep track of his tasks. He would need to grow up someday, but he was not looking forward to it. 

Settling in for the night, Z'phyr was asleep within minutes. Opening his eyes once more, he was not anywhere in Eorzea. Surely having some sort of nightmare, the void stretched as far as the eye could see, the perfect trap with no discernable method of escape. As the Miqo'te glanced around in confusion, he could feel… almost some sort of hum in his chest. He most certainly wasn't purring -he would know if he were- yet it was similar; a low rumble that originated from deep within that he could feel through his entire body. Before he could consider the source of the strange sensation, the emptiness around him began to glow a brilliant blue. 

His feet touched a floor he couldn't see and he lurched forward. There was still nothing in sight, yet the glow he was bathed in felt palpable. It had a warm, enveloping presence, but it made Z'phyr uneasy. 

_"Hear…"_

The voice came from nowhere, everywhere, and _inside of him_ all at once. He absolutely did not like this, but he couldn't see any change around him. 

_"Hear. Feel."_

Alright, whatever this thing messing with him was, it needed to get to the point. He'd started his new life _this morning_ and he had zero patience for this dickery. Turning around, the bright orange orb behind him was new. It was like a tiny sun that didn't burn his eyes, but his sense of impending unrest only grew. He wasn't in control of his body as he approached the thing, drawn in by a force too strong to resist. He was maybe a foot away when it exploded, a darkness pouring from the once bright light. The shadow was unnatural and consuming, deeper than the void around him. Z'phyr felt every hair on his body stand on end. There was… something _in_ the cloud.

A brief glint of light off metal was the only warning before the figure materialized from the shroud, clawed gauntlet first. It wore strange robes he'd never seen the likes of before and its face was obscured by an odd red mask. The general air of menace he bore was nothing to scoff at, but that odd voice spoke again.

_"Hear. Feel. Think."_

This bloody voice sounded so condescending. It didn't seem like it was more centralized now that the masked figure was stood across from him, yet the orb of light returned. Was… was this thing talking? It grew brighter, blindingly so and Z'phyr felt his stomach drop as something was draped over him. When he could see again, his clothes had been replaced by something far fancier. A large, radiant bow was in his hand, a new strength coursing through his veins. The same compulsion that had made him approach the orb earlier now raised his arm, nocking an arrow bright as a bolt of lightning and taking aim at the man.

He grinned under his mask, a red symbol covering his visage as he spewed more shadow, lunging forward. Z'phyr was faster. The arrow of light tore through the man before he could get close, ripping him apart and dissolving his form.

"Z'phyr, come on, get up!"

Jolting upright, he could feel his ears pivot to try and locate the source of his sister's voice. The room was dark, not yet close enough to sunrise to gain any early morning lumination from the windows. One of the nice things about being different races was that it was usually easy to find Zifeara in the dead of night; he could simply find the purple glow and it was comforting. And kept him from putting an eye out on her horns before he could really have any spatial awareness. The pure concern she regarded him with prompted him to speak, though his words were a bit raspy.

"I- where…? We… went to Ul'dah?"

"Yes and we went to bed only a few hours ago. You must have been having one hell of a dream."

He most definitely had. It was too specific to hold no meaning, yet none of it made sense. How did he even explain this? Z'phyr gave it his best shot, knowing that out of anyone, she would take this seriously. As was Zifeara's MO whenever she had to think of a solution to a problem, once he had finished recounting his nightmare, she became still. He could see her flipping through possibilities in her head, trying her best to determine the most rational cause of his strange vision.

"Sometimes the solution to things is time. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but a measure of patience can go a long way."

Rubbing at his eyes, Z'phyr had to admit that he was too tired to put much thought into it now. "Yeah, probably. This kind of mystic thing has a way of coming back around when you least expect it."

As they both tucked back in, Z'phyr had that sort of sinking feeling that this was going to bite him in the ass sooner rather than later.

***

Join a new guild, she said. It'll be fun she said. A secondary skill set besides the one you've practiced your entire life might be useful she said. Momodi just liked messing with them. Of all the guilds here in Ul'dah, the one they agreed might be some semblance of fun was the Thaumaturge's guild because being able to set things on fire could be great. If Z'phyr was honest, the copied cult of Lalafells that ran the place sort of weirded him out. Zifeara herself seemed as though she were debating whether or not these little bastards should be stabbed on the spot, but their tasks were easy enough and they both set out with staves in hand. 

Either way, they were doing what they had come here for; money was flowing in for their efforts and they were starting to amass enough to afford new armor and better weapons. Heck, some people offered them gear in lieu of funds because that was all they had. Slowly collecting equipment and hunting wildlife was at the very least progress. Today's half of their chores took Z'phyr out to the Ul'dah Dispatch yard while his sister took up all the hunting tasks. Because of course she did.

Man, Lalafell just shouldn't have facial hair. The station master was an older man and Z'phyr was only mildly distracted by his hairstyle choices. Through all the small man's ramblings, the Miqo'te gathered enough that he was to deliver snacks to a group of guards in the area and he had never more wished that he could be doing Zifeara's tasks. She got to do everything fun today and he was stuck with the dreary labor of being a common errand boy. While the three soldiers were most grateful to receive the goods, they had aught to report of their watch. To make matters worse, Papashan was displeased with that answer and had another, gravely important task which Z'phyr now had to take up. A girl of high standing was missing and the desperation of finding her was high. He had the time and he wanted the coin, so he set out for the Sultantree, his first search area. 

Had he known that this one job would have fucked up the rest of his life, he might not have taken it. If Z'phyr had even the slightest inkling that this would set in motion the unyielding, unfathomable, magnificent mess that would change the world as they knew it, he might have bid fate to choose someone else. Yet he was privy to exactly nothing, naught but a cryptic dream and the vaguest sense of impending bullshit that was in no way tied to this very moment, meaning that like the ultimate fool, he approached the young woman kneeling at the base of the great tree. He opened the door for the ruination of his future, for better or worse, and in that instant, he felt none of the weight of his actions.

The young lady spoke quietly to herself before yelling at what he _thought_ was him to show himself. As it would happen, Z'phyr turned to find a hot guy standing behind him, which was thus far the high point of his day. The stranger's stark white hair shimmered brilliantly in the bright desert sunlight, nicely framing his shapely face. _Well hellooo._ He had a nice voice to match and Z'phyr was once again on the dangerous line of how much attention he was paying to his current task. 

Based on the man's tone and words, he was the noblewoman's escort. As he turned to address Z'phyr, the Miqo'te tensed. He had that odd feeling again. Like something was about to go wrong.

"Ah, you must be the one that Papashan mentioned," he said with an apologetic smile. "Congratulations on finding our elusive young charge. You'll have to forgive Her Impetuousness. What she lacks in discipline, she makes up for in stubbornness."

Leaning his weight to one side, Z'phyr eyed the man more thoroughly. Hot yes, sense of this job being too easy dispersed, no. "Not a problem. Didn't need to do much of anything, really."

Grinning, the man gestured back the way they'd come. "You should return with us; the Stationmaster will be eager to thank Lady Lilira's protector in person." 

Technically he had done what was asked of him, even if he hadn't lifted a finger to do so... 

Before he could respond one way or the other, that instinct of his proved correct. A miserable screech preceded the ugliest flying goblin of a creature he'd ever seen swooping into view. Oh _good_ , they were going to fight this thing. Z'phyr's first thought was the saying 'be careful what you wish for' in regards to Zifeara having all the fun of the day, yet he didn't have time to dwell on it before the beast was upon them. At least he wouldn't have to do this by himself. His new white-haired friend seemed to know what to do in a fight well enough. 

To be fair, he wasn't a bad archer after growing up in the Shroud and the demon wasn't too difficult. Nor were the extra buggers it brought with it, though between his arrows and the stranger's daggers, they all fell without too much of a fuss. Breathing a sigh of relief, the man went to check on the young lady they'd been protecting, but that was when Z'phyr caught sight of it. The largest demon had dropped some sort of crystal. Thinking it might fetch a good price, he picked it up. You know, like a moron.

As Z'phyr held it close to inspect the stone, he felt a far too familiar drop, as if the ground itself had given way beneath him. He had simply blinked, but he was here in the same void he'd dreamt of last night, the crystal now floating between his palms and glowing a radiant cerulean. The glyph that sprang to life under his feet bound him in place, one of the six circles along its outer rim casting off a pillar of the same blue light. An explosion above him not unlike a fireworks display blinded him momentarily and that same, unplaceable voice spoke to him again. 

_"Hear. Feel. Think."_

As he regained his sight, nothing but blackness stretched before him and the stone was nowhere to be found. A deep rumbling caused him to look where he thought was up, a torrent of meteors hailing from angry looking clouds. They fell around him, none striking true, simply another vision without purpose to his ignorant mind. Each time Z'phyr blinked, he was elsewhere. Now the void was tinged with blue.

_"Crystal bearer…"_

_"_ **_What?_ ** _"_ , he wanted to shout, rather annoyed by all of this pissing him about. He just wanted to be told why he was being-

Finally something concrete. A sky blue stone of irregular shape drifted as he was, drawing him closer. It was about the same size as he was.

_"I am Hydaelyn. All made one. A Light there once was that shone through the realm… yet it hath since grown dim."_

Again, denied the right to speak, he could only glower at the stone and listen.

_"And as it hath faltered, so hath Darkness risen up in its stead, presaging an end to Life."_

Did this hallucination have a point? It was long-winded for a rock and he was wondering when he'd gotten the concussion that had brought all this on.

_"For the sake of all, I beseech thee: deliver us from this fate!"_

Wait… what? This was all in his own head- something derived from his own sparking brain, why would it ask him anything of the sort? Z'phyr didn't want to be a hero; he wanted to make a living in a way that was enjoyable, see the world doing it, maybe get a nice house somewhere, find a cute boyfriend, and be comfortable. Hero was a _strong_ word. 

_"The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light, journey forth and lay claim to them."_

As more hunks of the same stone began swirling at his feet, he finally found some kind of voice. A heavy sigh. _Could I not, though? C'mon me, you know this was nowhere in the plan. You can stop now._

As the crystals formed a ring around him, one far larger than all others rose from the darkness. It shone with a brilliant light and he had finally found the source of the voice. 

_"By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee."_ It was as if the the figment of his imagination knew he was about to snark at it because it followed that with the most cliche thing he'd ever heard. _"Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart."_

Yes, and the toad liveth within the pond- garbage words of nonsense. Believing in yourself and fulfilling some higher destiny were things for children and he had not been a child for quite some time. He was no longer a starry-eyed kit with dreams of grandeur because that was not how the world worked. You came of age, you hunted, you labored, you enjoyed what measure of success you fought for, you reproduced, well, not that one in his case, and then you died. Life moved in a cycle and he was not favored to be on top of the curve for his kind. He would never be a nunh and there was little glory to be held for a simple tia. He had accepted this long ago, so why was this bloody rock on his case like it knew his life better? 'Hydaelyn the Nagging Rock' was getting on his nerves. 

As if his hallucination wasn't strange enough, the ghosts that manifested at his sides shot past him to orbit the hunk of Aetherite, prompting him to do a special little shooting star maneuver himself. He wanted to gag at how stupid this all felt. There had to be dozens of other figures of all races making paths around this thing. Z'phyr had to read better books to provide new material for his subconscious. 

_"Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation."_

Thank gods that was done. As he gazed at the branches of the Sultantree, he realized he was lying on the ground. Sitting up and rubbing at his head, Z'phyr found the man from earlier still hanging about him. 

"Ah, coming around now." He gazed at the tree himself, now carrying a conversation with the Lalafell they'd rescued.

Z'phyr picked his bow from the ground where he'd dropped it, ensuring it hadn't been damaged. He then searched for the bump in his own skull to have brought such a strange phantasm to his addled brain, yet he found none. Maybe it was heat stroke; he'd heard of such a thing happening out here, though he hadn't considered it when he set out this morning. He needed a long drink of water. 

"Don't suppose the answer came to you in a dream?"

"Huh?" He hadn't realized he'd been spoken to right away. "Oh, no, that would be ridiculous."

"Hmm," the man appraised him, "no sooner did you fell the beast than you fell asleep. Too much aether, no doubt."

 _Oooh, that would make sense, yeah._ "Haha, yes, most likely. So, mysterious chum, I don't suppose you know what this is, then?" Brandishing the now dormant crystal he'd picked up, Z'phyr held it out for him to see.

The man's eyes widened. "I hadn't considered the Crystal. But of course… This changes everything."

"Does it?" he responded dryly. He was not giving in to questionably real visions of rocks claiming to be gods. 

As the mystery man buggered off to whatever it was that he did without even leaving his name (though as he left, he did leave a view of a promising ass) and saddled him with informing the Stationmaster of what in the Seven Hells just happened out here, Z'phyr shook his head. Maybe Ul'dah was a stupid idea. These people were fucking mental.

***

"That doesn't sound like nothing to me."

Why did she have to be this way. "Zia, the guy said so himself; I probably just got aether sickness and had some kinda crazy fever dream." 

From his place on the bed behind his sister, he couldn't see the pointed look she'd have given him, but he did stop her from turning around. He redoubled his efforts to get all the knots out of her hair in record time. "Besides, you know I have no plans of becoming Eorzea's most recognizable face. I'm just a cat making a living and nothing more."

"Mmm, Z'phyr-" he hated it when she had that admonishing tone, "not a single thing has gone as we planned since the day we were born. I would not be surprised if all of this were _actually_ a vision of the real goddess."

"Shut up." Now he was being less gentle than he could have been when grabbing strands of hair to braid for the night. "The more you talk about it, the more power you give my dying brain cells."

He knew very well that she wasn't going to drop this ordeal, yet she just hummed again, allowing him to finish helping her prepare for sleep. It was something they had done for as long as they could remember; spending time together this way at the end of the day helped them unwind and let go of stress. Doing things with his hands calmed Z'phyr and he was the only one Zifeara let touch her, even platonically like this.

"So, have a date tomorrow?"

He could feel his shoulders tense. Zifeara had to be referring to the man Papashan had informed him was _Thancred_. "N-no, of course not. We have more important things to do anyway."

He wasn't sure if he'd rather she tease him or go back to talking about his uncertain destiny. 

"Are you sure? Because I can easily handle what's left of our list and take a break before-"

"Would you not?! I didn't even know his name before I talked to the old Lalafell!" Z'phyr knew there was at least a little color in his cheeks. He really was that predictable, wasn't he?

Zifeara's melodic laugh filled the room and she stood, placing her hands on her hips and leaning over him. "Brother dearest, you know how you are- you have the sex drive of _both of us_. You go too long without a lay and you're jittery as a spriggan. Why don't you go out to that bar we saw? The Coffer and Coffin? It'll probably take your mind off this dream thing if you can find a handsome young man to bed for the night."

The thought was… tempting. It had been a while since they'd been preparing for this move and then the travel time held no opportunities for such things and gods knows even if the guy in the cart had been coming onto him, he was definitely too old to be Z'phyr's type. He was willing to bet there would be plenty of people from all over -adventurers like himself relaxing after a hard day's work- filling the one decent pub available to all sorts near Ul'dah. Ugh, why did Zifeara have to be right. 

Rising from his place, he conceded. "You're probably right. It isn't too late and good dick fixes all problems. I won't be gone long."

"Only if you don't get lucky."

Grinning, Z'phyr returned his sibling's cheeky wink. "Hey, you've run me ragged the past two days, I'm bottoming tonight and that's always quicker."

***

At least his visit to the bar had proven fruitful in more ways than one. With a name and a general idea of where to look, he had someone to speak to about more work. He'd learned giant ants freaked him out in the process of breaking off bits of their faces to prove he was the man for the job, but still. Blackbrush Station was a quaint little place, one where he could get his armor mended before locating Warin. Granted, his new task was destroying a nest of coblyns, but it was the sort of thing he'd been hoping for yesterday. Better than take this thing to this person then come back then do it seven more times.

Now in higher spirits after an eventful evening, the mindless slaughter of beasts allowed Z'phyr to think over the events of yesterday again. The Nagging Rock had told him to save the world by seeking out crystals like the one he still carried from yesterday. It had also said that his deeds alone would yield the stones to him, meaning there was likely little he could do on purpose to speed things up. If he could prove one way or another that this a was a crock of nonsense, it would ease his mind, yet there was no way he could see to make that happen. Zifeara had it again; giving it time was the only answer he'd conceived, though he was going to be salty about it until it resolved itself. Even if it hadn't been a fever dream, he severely questioned the goddess' choice of savior. Why would she pick someone who hated the idea?

The moment he returned to Blackbrush, he was sent out again, hunting what he suspected to be spriggans from what he knew of the creatures. It was busy work, but he was distracted the entire time. Task after task, he could not focus more than simply navigating between locations and putting arrows into monsters. It wasn't until the end of the day when he was trudging down a path to get to the last thing he wanted to tend to before heading back to the city that he realized he was back at the bar that had finished his day previously. Right. He was looking for a man seeking hired arms. 

Aaand of course he was too late and instead was given more drudgery. Great. It wasn't that he disliked kids, he just… hadn't a clue of what to do with them. Z'phyr had to appreciate this man's drive; Wystan was trying to better those around him and it brought a smile to his face. For all the problems he'd seen in his days here, it was nice that there were some trying to even the playing field. He wished the man the best but before he could leave, the Brass Blades arrived with news of progress and he was invited to at least see the vein of ore to be harvested. He had little interest in it, yet it proved hard to deny Wystan when he was so excited. Z'phyr needed something to drink after all this fighting today, so he offered to meet the man there in a short time.

Arriving at the ruins, the Miqo'te was met with something he hadn't expected. Wystan lay on the ground, spitting furiously at one of the Blades. This wasn't ideal. It was clear what had happened here and Z'phyr didn't take time to think before he had an arrow nocked. He loosed it in a flash, staggering one of the Blades to the side and announcing his presence. Ho boy, here we go. Three on one wasn't the best of odds, but he knew he was fast. He could take them if he stayed light on his feet.

The voice came from somewhere on his left, though he couldn't seem to pinpoint the source. _"O mournful voice of creation! Grant ye this humble stone a soul, that it may wake to life!"_

The Blades seemed just as confused as he was, meaning that definitely was not one of theirs. The ground beneath their feet quaked, boulders and smaller rocks gravitating towards each other to pile on top of one another, forming a large golem. Oh even _better_. Yeah, he could take a huge rock man. All the Blades straight up dipped so this was all his problem. If he ran too, this thing would crush Wystan. Alright.

Z'phyr was quicker than the rocks by far, meaning the terrain proved useful to him. It was easy enough to scrabble behind broken columns the creature couldn't reach him past or up stairs that took it too long to scale, all the while firing on its glowing core. There were times when being a ranged fighter were to his utmost advantage. All he had to do was dodge its fists and make sure not to lead it too close to the man he was supposed to be protecting and he had this.

One more well-aimed arrow and the golem shuddered, crumbling forward into the rubble it had once been. There was still… something heavy in the air. A sense of smoke hanging over a room. 

_"That the golem could be vanquished…"_

The voice again. The one who had summoned the creature was still here somewhere. Glancing about again, this time, the culprit was in view. _Oh no._ The robed figure atop a worn pillar looked hauntingly familiar. His mask was not red, but black, though there was no mistaking the garb he wore for anything other than what Z'phyr had dreamt of. He eased another arrow out of his quiver. Maybe, just _maybe_ , his dream had some ground to stand on after all.

_"That man is no ordinary adventurer."_

"You could say that a little less like I can hear you," Z'phyr snarked. He was seconds from taking aim, yet the figure evaporated into a cloud of deep purple smoke, just like he had seen the man from his dream do. _Shit._

"Damn, seems like I've missed all the fun."

Whipping his head to the side, Z'phyr's eyes widened. "Thancred?"

It was indeed the mysterious man from yesterday and he smiled mirthfully. "I see you didn't need my help this time."

"Yeah, well, it would have been…"

Something was… wrong. Z'phyr dropped the arrow he held steady against his string. He could feel his heartbeat in his head and his vision was becoming unfocused. His blood raced through his veins and a white light bloomed behind his eyes. When he saw anything at all again, he was watching Thancred go about his day. He had an objectively attractive woman on either side of him, meandering down the main street of Ul'dah. He was… shamelessly flirting. It was not what Z'phyr would have considered A-game, more around C minus. Thancred overheard two people talking about a caravan being raided by a group of Amalj'aa and it got him stirred up. The beastmen were stealing crystals, all to summon a primal. It was strange, Z'phyr was seeing all of this play out not as if he'd been there, but as if he were standing in various points around the street itself- receiving all the information in the most convenient way possible. Yet he could feel Thancred's frustration and the gravity of a situation he himself did not understand. Both women prompted him to snap out of his thoughts, begging him to hurry up. If Z'phyr knew anything, he knew Thancred was about to get laid, despite what he'd passed as coquetry. The image presenting itself to him only confirmed the fact as the man put an arm around both girls. 

Thankfully, the vision deemed _that_ to be where the sequence of events became unimportant and it skipped to a different moment in time. Now the man moved down Sapphire Avenue, observing the comings and going of the people there. His musings on the effect the raids were having on the citizens were grim, and when he looked to the sky, Z'phyr could feel his heart drop. The red moon Dalamud hung in the air, a threat of violence tied to its very being. But… the Calamity was five years ago, how could he be…? As his vision skipped again, Thancred had the strange device he carried on his shoulder strapped to his head like a mask. He approached some form of statue in what vaguely resembled the Thaumaturge's guild, marveling at the strength of the aether in the location. He was investigating something, yet nothing he said made sense to Z'phyr; he was speaking of events the Miqo'te wasn't privy to. 

As Thancred sprinted off into U'ldah, Z'phyr felt the thrumming in his skull ease. The sight was fading and he could now feel the ground beneath his hands. While the fingers of one dug into the sand, the other stroked across the familiar, sturdy wood of his bow. He shouldn't be using the weapon to brace himself into a sitting position, but he was disoriented and the last thing he could remember was being in a fight. The more his senses returned, the more he realized that Thancred, the one he was mildly acquainted with as opposed to the flashback ghost, was aiding Wystan and his men. He answered a linkshell and spoke into it, though Z'phyr was still trying to rise to his feet and understood little of what was said as a wave of nausea passed.

"My colleagues went to great lengths to provide me with the means to detect aetheric disturbances, but every time I find one, you seem to be in the middle of it." Thancred regarded him with a smirk, but it held a measure of concern. "I'm starting to wonder if it might not be simpler just to follow you around."

"Buy me dinner first, mate, then we'll talk." Z'phyr was feeling a bit more like himself, it would seem. 

Laughing loudly, Thancred waved him off. "Sadly, I have business elsewhere." Once containing himself, his smile returned, a bit warmer now. "Tread softly, my friend. The carefully laid trap you dismantled was clearly sanctioned by Lord Lolorito. I heard the Blades mention him as they fled. Believe me when I tell you that he is not a man to be trifled with."

Z'phyr returned his bow to its place, no longer in danger of needing it for support of his own weight. Thancred continued as if the Miqo'te gave any indication of how all this was his problem. "The sultana's enemies grow bolder by the day and I suspect they have the support of outside forces."

Wystan spoke up before Z'phyr could. "Thank you. If you hadn't come along when you did, those bastards would have slaughtered us all. I would speak with you further, but it isn't safe for us to linger here." Bidding him return to the Coffer and Coffin, Wystan and his men took their leave. Thancred moved to accompany them, but paused.

"Ah, but where are my manners? I have yet to properly introduce myself! I am Thancred, a humble scholar surveying the flow of aether in Thanalan."

Accepting the hand that was offered to him, the Miqo'te finally relaxed. He needed a nap. "Z'phyr. Man of the Shroud, just looking for new opportunities. Nothing fancy."

The other man smirked and his grip was firm. "It is an honor and a privilege to make your acquaintance. I hope when we next meet it is under more auspicious circumstances. Farewell!"

He turned to leave and yep, ass still great. Z'phyr wondered what the odds were of ever getting to tap that or if Thancred only went one way.

***

"Ah Z'phyr, how're you farin' out here in Ul'dah so far? I've been hearin' tons of you an your sister from grateful folks you've helped."

Plopping down on one of the stools by her counter, Z'phyr laid his head on the cool wood. "Oh you know, the usual; got caught up in something I didn't ask for, fought a golem, helped some loser out, might get murdered for it."

Momodi tutted at him. "Settle down, Z'phyr. You've got nothin' to worry about. No one seems to know you were at the ruins."

He glanced at her without moving, more rubbing his face on the surface. While she confirmed that wasn't the case for poor Wystan, at least the guy was still alive. Gods, what _had_ he gotten himself into? Momodi enlightened him on just how big a deal this Lolorito was and Z'phyr just sighed. She must have known where his mind was wandering.

"Don't let this color your view of Ul'dah, Z'phyr… It's true that there are some here who ain't afraid to crack a few skulls if it gets 'em what they want, but most of us are decent folk just tryin' to make ends meet."

"Like me then?"

Smiling brightly, she pat his head. "Just like you. You know, a lot of people would call you a damn fool for riskin' your life to save a marked man…"

Reaching behind her, she returned with a full tankard that she pushed his way. "But _I_ believe you did a good thing, Z'phyr, and for that you have my respect! Not many would do that sorta thing and we needed more people like you. Have a rest before you go runnin' off again, yeah?"

Finally sitting up, he couldn't find it in him to refuse. Z'phyr drained half the drink offered to him at once, just realizing how tired he really was. "Thanks Momodi, I think I'll take you up on that. Hey, can I ask you something of more a gossipy nature?"

Her eyes twinkled and she leaned her entire torso on the counter. "Oh?"

Grinning, he knew he had her attention. "How well do you know a Thancred?"

Momodi's eager expression instantly dropped. "Seven Hells, who _doesn't_ know Thancred!" She waved her tiny arm as she moved off to grab something to do while she complained about the lady's man strutting in here and causing a fuss. Aw man, he knew it. 

"So he's entirely straight then?" It was difficult to keep the disappointment from his tone and Momodi picked up on it, whipping back around to gape at him. 

That figured. The hottest guy in Ul'dah was straight, his prophetic dreams were probably legitimate, he was entrenched in some sort of shady class wars, and his patron deity that decided to dump fate on him was a rock. He hadn't even been here a week. Ul'dah might be a bit cursed.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be coming romance, smut, and of course more snark the further in we get. Hope to see you soon~
> 
> If you have fun with Z'phyr and want to see some extra bits of his more current exploits, I post about him on Twitter under @ZifearasHoard. Come poke fun at my idiot and scream about the game!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, if you'd like to come say hi or see what I've been up to, find me at @ZifearasHoard on Twitter!


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